RESIDENTS of a Coventry street are calling for urgent action after giant rats infested a row of rundown garages near their homes.

Rodents have been seen scurrying around Pondthorpe, Willenhall, after moving into the garages which are full of rubbish.

John Bickley, aged 60, spotted five rats in his back garden. He refuses to open any windows or doors for longer than a few seconds for fear they might run into his house.

The grandad-of-six said: “If they came in we wouldn’t get rid of them – they won’t want to leave. They’re not scared of people.

“We had environmental health try and get rid of them with poison but they keep coming back. “We want to get these garages knocked down.

“They’re not being used and it’s getting worse with the hot weather.

“I think they’re breeding because I’ve seen massive ones and really small ones.

“It’s not funny any more. The kids can’t play out because they might catch something from them.”

The Whitefriars Housing Group leased the garages to another company which failed to clear the rubbish. Of the seven garages, only four have gates fitted, but John and his neighbours say the rats have gnawed their way through them.

Debbie Rock, a mum-of-four who lives at the back of the garages, said: “There are bite marks at the bottom of the gates where they’ve got out.

“You can’t sit in your garden anymore. I heard them screeching the other day. It makes me sick to my stomach. They’re going to multiply if something isn’t done about it.”

Richard Osborne, director of property services at Whitefriars, said it had been in contact with the company that leases the Pondthorpe garages from Whitefriars to register the neighbours’ concerns. He said the company had now agreed to clear away the rubbish and secure the garages.

He added: “To help prevent this situation from arising again, we have secured a commitment from the company to improve their routine maintenance of the site to keep it in better condition.”